Seattle Kraken Sign Kole Lind
The Seattle Kraken continue to make moves today, now signing expansion draft selection Kole Lind. CapFriendly reports that Lind accepted his qualifying offer, giving him a one-year two-way deal worth $874,125 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the minor league level.
Lind, a 2017 second-round selection by the Vancouver Canucks, will continue his development with the Kraken organization after they selected him in the expansion draft. Lind got his first taste of NHL action this season, going pointless in a seven-game stint with Vancouver. But what those numbers don’t show is his quick scoring development at the minor league level. Lind had somewhat of a breakout season for the Utica Comets in 2019-20, his second professional season, posting 44 points (14 goals) in 61 games. And while Lind didn’t play much this year as he served a decent portion of the season on Vancouver’s taxi squad, he did score eight points in just eight AHL contests.
Due to Seattle’s deep forward group, a return to the AHL (now with the Charlotte Checkers) is likely for Lind, especially with the team’s signing of Marcus Johansson today. However, Lind’s development over the past few seasons shows extreme promise, and he could be a long-term middle-six piece as the Kraken continue to take shape.
New York Rangers Sign Ty Ronning
The New York Rangers announced three contracts today, two of which had already been reported. The one-year deals for Tim Gettinger and Adam Huska are now official; joining them is Ty Ronning who has also agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Ronning was a restricted free agent and not eligible for arbitration. Ronning’s deal is worth the league-minimum $750,000 with $75,000 in minor-league pay, per CapFriendly.
Originally a seventh-round pick in 2016, likely more to do with his name–he’s the son of long-time NHL forward Cliff Ronning–than his play, the 23-year-old forward has developed into a legitimate scoring threat in the minor leagues. Ronning had 10 goals and 18 points in 18 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this season, continuing what has been a pattern to this point. In the 2017-18 season he scored 61 goals for the Vancouver Giants, and then for two seasons was nearly a point-per-game player in the ECHL.
None of the three should be impact players on the Rangers this year, but do offer real value to the AHL club. The undersized Ronning has always found a way to contribute offensively and he should find no trouble in that task for Hartford.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Conor Timmins
After acquiring him last month in a deal for Darcy Kuemper, the Arizona Coyotes have signed Conor Timmins to a two-year contract. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the deal will carry an average annual value of $850K. CapFriendly reports that Timmins will make $750,000 in 2021-22 and $950,000 in 2022-23.
Timmins, 22, was the 32nd overall pick in 2017 and looked like he was on the fast track to the NHL after dominating the OHL and the World Juniors through the early part of the 2017-18 season. Unfortunately, he ran into concussion issues that kept him out the entire 2018-19 season, slowing his development in its tracks.
Healthy now and contributing, Timmins played in 31 games for the Colorado Avalanche this year, registering seven assists. He even suited up for 10 playoff games, showing he’d made the jump comfortably to the NHL level. The Avalanche were in desperate need of a goaltender after Philipp Grubauer surprisingly signed with the Seattle Kraken, and Timmins was a price they could reasonably pay given how many other young defensemen they have in the system.
For Arizona though, he represents a brand new kind of asset and a potential long-term partner for Jakob Chychrun. The team has been using veteran defensemen for years, failing to really develop any of their own other than Chychrun and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Timmins comes in at an early enough time in his career that he still represents huge amounts of excess value, if they can coax the best of him out in Arizona. When on his game, Timmins has an elite defensive stick and can move the puck quickly up to his forwards, contributing offensively at times.
At just $850K, he is the perfect mix for a team like Arizona–cheap and young. The team has slashed their payroll dramatically while taking on cap hits that bring them to the lower limit, and need players like Timmins to log big minutes in the rebuild. For the young defenseman, a two-year deal gives him some security while also likely providing him with a chance to play a lot for the Coyotes, setting up a potential payday in arbitration two years from now.
Oskar Olausson Signs Entry-Level Contract
Another first-round pick has signed, as Oskar Olausson inks his entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The young forward was selected 28th overall in this year’s draft. CapFriendly reports the deal carries $832,500 in base salary every season with a $92,500 signing bonus, meaning a cap hit and average annual value of $925,000
Olausson, 18, made his SHL debut this season, suiting up at the highest level in Sweden for 16 games. He recorded three goals and four points in those matches, but filled the scoresheet at the junior level, adding 14 goals and 27 points in 16 games for HV71’s U20 squad. A talented skater, the 6’2″ forward can drive wide with speed or cleanly enter the offensive zone under control, shifting gears quickly to shake defenders. His overall game still needs polish, but that can be said about almost any player selected in the back half of the first round.
As a first-round pick, the Avalanche could send Olausson to the minor leagues or return him to Sweden for more development but did not reveal their plans in the press release. No matter where he plays, he’ll be a top option for Sweden at the World Junior tournament, given he took part in it last year as well. His role on that team should increase, as should his playing time in the SHL if that’s where he spends this season.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Bokondji Imama For One Year
The Arizona Coyotes have inked a recent trade acquisition, as the team announced a one-year deal today for forward Bokondji Imama. The deal is a two-way contract, and Craig Morgan reports that it’s worth $750,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level.
Imama is inking a deal to join this third NHL organization since being drafted. A bruising, physical winger who’s had some scoring success in the past, Imama was originally drafted in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015. He was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings organization before ever playing a pro game for Tampa, and that’s where he’s spent time before a minor-league swap of players this summer sent him to the desert. Imama’s used his four seasons in the Ontario Reign organization to slowly develop his offensive game while maintaining a physical presence, and he had a career-best 14 points in 31 games this past year.
Imama will inevitably suit up for the Tucson Roadrunners this season, but it’s not inconceivable that Imama will someday suit up for the Coyotes. His physicality could be appealing for a team that will be on the rise in a few years, and Imama could see some more scoring opportunities this year with a depleted Arizona Coyotes depth chart. Increased confidence this season and some scoring development could help ensure that he stays with the organization.
Vince Dunn Avoids Arbitration, Signs With Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent defenseman Vince Dunn, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $8MM. Dunn was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 14, but will no longer need it. GM Ron Francis released a short statement:
Vince is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman that can help generate offense from our blueline. He’s a smooth skater that helps drive possession and plays a physical game.
Dunn, 24, was the team’s selection from the St. Louis Blues in the expansion draft, picked over the exposed Vladimir Tarasenko and other options. The reason for it, and for this hefty raise, is the offensive upside that Dunn has demonstrated in the early part of his career. Since entering the league in 2017-18, Dunn’s 32 goals actually tie him for 27th among NHL defenders, despite averaging just over 17 minutes a night.
Even with a handful of healthy scratches this season for the Blues, that average ice time actually increased to more than 19 minutes a night as he began to earn more trust from the coaching staff. Make no mistake, Dunn can be a polarizing player and still will have his fair share of defensive lapses, but on a team like Seattle that will be looking for someone to run the top powerplay, he should find plenty of success.
In fact, there’s a good chance that Dunn leads all Kraken defensemen in scoring in their first season, given the alternatives. Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Carson Soucy are all much more defensive options, and though Mark Giordano–the 2019 Norris winner–has obvious offensive talent, he’ll also be 38 when the season starts. In that context, paying Dunn $4MM might make some sense, but it also comes with some significant risk for the Kraken.
Not only could he struggle enough defensively to offset his offense and make him a net negative, but if the team goes through some growing pains he will be much harder to trade at that number. Right now, Dunn represents a ton of untapped offensive potential. If he is given more responsibility and the numbers don’t improve, the Kraken are looking at an expensive, underperforming asset.
That gamble is one that Francis and company is willing to take, especially with the amount of cap space they have right now. Even after signing Dunn and Marcus Johansson earlier today, the team is still nearly $10MM under the cap ceiling. Dennis Cholowski, Carsen Twarynski, Kole Lind and Cale Fleury remain unsigned, but none of the four are arbitration-eligible.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the deal on Twitter
Darnell Nurse Signs Eight-Year Extension
The Edmonton Oilers may have lost Adam Larsson to the Seattle Kraken, but won’t be letting Darnell Nurse get anywhere close to free agency. The team has signed their top defenseman to an eight-year contract extension, which, when added to the one-year he has left on his current deal, keeps him locked up through the 2029-30 season. Nurse’s average annual value will increase to $9.25MM for the 2022-23 season, giving him the fifth-highest cap hit among NHL defensemen, coming in just below the recent extensions for Zach Werenski and Seth Jones.
Nurse, 26, was the seventh-overall selection in the 2013 draft, picked three spots behind Jones and just ahead of Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen. During his 406 regular season games, he has recorded 157 points and averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time. Both of those numbers have increased dramatically recently though, with Nurse recording an outstanding 16-goal, 36-point campaign in 2020-21. That was good enough for seventh in the Norris Trophy race, the first time he had received votes for the award.
This is betting that the increased level of play Nurse showed this year will continue, but it’s also locking up a player who has never wavered in his commitment to the Oilers. The team has had trouble keeping or attracting premium free agents in the past, which Nurse would have represented had he been allowed to play out this season. He was scheduled for UFA status in the summer of 2022, where teams from all over the league likely would have offered large, long-term deals.
Still, this bet comes with a ton of risk for Edmonton. Nurse has never had very strong defensive metrics, and though he adds a lot of the things teams covet—size, skating ability, physicality and offense—it hasn’t resulted in any real success for the Oilers. He’s played just 21 postseason games during his career, 13 of those coming in the 2016-17 season and four being the qualification round from 2020. All of that has come when Nurse was making quite a bit less than he will be going forward, meaning he’ll have to improve his play to provide any real excess value for Edmonton.
Of course, there is quite a bit of money coming off the books for the Oilers next season. Mikko Koskinen‘s $4.5MM cap hit will expire, as will contracts for both Kyle Turris and Kris Russell. After the 2022-23 season the team will no longer be paying Milan Lucic (retained) and Andrej Sekera (buyout) to not play for them. A deal of this magnitude doesn’t put them in cap hell, but it certainly will restrict what they can do with that extra space.
The question now is how the rest of the blueline will look in Edmonton this season, with newcomers Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci joining the fray. The team has its presumed top-four locked up through at least the 2022-23 season, though the emergence of Evan Bouchard as a difference-maker while still on his entry-level deal would certainly help.
By next season Nurse will become the second-highest paid player on the Oilers, surpassing the $8.5MM that Leon Draisaitl‘s contract carries through 2024-25. That comes with plenty of expectations, especially on a team that has also has the best player in the world. With this much money being handed out, there will have to be some postseason success and it’ll have to come soon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Sign Kale Clague
The Los Angeles Kings have reached an agreement with restricted free agent defenseman Kale Clague, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $761,250, the same number as his qualifying offer this year.
Clague, 23, was a second-round pick of the Kings in 2016, and played 18 games for the team this season. He registered six assists in those appearances by moving the puck quickly and accurately but is still looking for his first NHL goal. That could come this season if the Kings give Clague a chance to play regularly, but it’s not goal-scoring that will ever be the biggest part of his offensive contribution. Instead, it’s all about creating neutral zone turnovers and sending his teammates on a counter-attack for Clague, who relies on a quick stick defensively more than physicality.
Whether he can crack the NHL lineup on a full-time basis is still to be determined though, especially after the Kings brought in Alexander Edler in free agency. The team now has a long list of contenders for playing time, with Clague’s two-way contract likely not helping his case. One thing in his favor though? The fact that the young defenseman is now eligible for waivers, something that Tobias Bjornfot cannot claim. It’s unlikely that he would clear once the season begins, meaning if the Kings intend on slipping him through it might have to be during training camp when teams are less inclined to add to the roster.
This is an important season for Clague, who will be arbitration-eligible next summer and looking for his first one-way deal.
This article previously referenced a Kings’ press release that had Clague signing a two-year deal.
Montreal Canadiens Avoid Arbitration With Michael McNiven
The Montreal Canadiens won’t be going to arbitration with Michael McNiven after all. The minor league goaltender has settled on a one-year, two-way contract with Montreal, which will carry an NHL salary of $750K. McNiven was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 11, but will no longer need it.
The 24-year-old McNiven would have been an interesting arbitration case, given he still hasn’t played a single game in the NHL. In fact, he has spent more time in the ECHL the last few seasons than anywhere else, splitting 22 games between the Adirondack Thunder, Jacksonville Icemen and Norfolk Admirals in 2019-20. This season he played 13 games for the Laval Rocket and went 7-3-3, even with a save percentage of just .895.
There have been clear signs of success for the undrafted netminder, but McNiven’s career has been marked by inconsistency both in his play and his assignment. He has never remained at a single level for a full season, including this year when he was routinely called up to the taxi squad when the Canadiens were dealing with injuries. The epitome of organizational depth at this point, it seems that he’ll be used just wherever Montreal needs him at the time.
In terms of an NHL future, McNiven is obviously behind the tandem of Carey Price and Jake Allen, but has also been passed on the depth chart by 21-year-old Cayden Primeau, who has six NHL appearances over the last two seasons.
Calgary Flames Sign Matthew Phillips, Luke Philp
The Calgary Flames have announced two minor signings, inking Matthew Phillips and Luke Philp to one-year, two-way deals. Both contracts will carry a $750K salary at the NHL level.
The pair of young forwards will stay in the organization on short-term deals, giving them another chance to compete for NHL playing time. Phillips, 23, actually got into one game with the Flames this season, after once again being a strong contributor in the minor leagues. The tiny, 5’7″ forward was a dominant player in the WHL, scoring 90 and 112 points his last two seasons of junior hockey, and has had no trouble continuing to produce in the AHL. During the 2019-20 season. Phillips had 15 goals and 33 points in just 38 games, earning a spot at the All-Star Game. This season he scored eight goals and 21 points in 30 games, continuing his strong minor league career.
Still, it’s hard to really believe he will ever become an impact player for the Flames. Though there are other examples of small players finding success at the highest level, the fact is that those are exceptions, not the norm. The Flames obviously believe in him enough as a valuable piece of the organization to bring him back, but there will be real hurdles to clear if he wants to be a full-time NHL forward.
For Philp, those same hurdles exist, even if he is a bit bigger than his Stockton Heat teammate. The 25-year-old went undrafted out of the WHL and actually attended the University of Alberta, since he was no longer eligible for the NCAA. On the Canadian college hockey circuit he became a star, scoring 45 points in 24 games during his junior year. That earned him an entry-level contract with the Flames, but he still hasn’t had a whiff of the NHL. In two seasons for Stockton, Philp has 48 points in 82 games. That’s good, but likely not enough to really put him on a path to the Flames given his age (26 in November) and size (5’10”, 185). He would have to take a significant step forward this season to really push for more than spot duty.